Spring wheel for automobiles and other vehicles



H. HILL my 21, im.

SPRING WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES Filed July 9, 1930 n ,lL S S The yoke pieces are provided in their bases w'uii recesses 18adapted to engage the spherical surfaces 4 thereby permitting a certaindegree ot freedom of motion between the yoke pieces and the inner rimelement.

ln the modiiication illustrated in Figure 8, the yoke piece is in theform ot' a cupshaped element 19 provided with slots 2O within which thepins 17 associated with the outer rim element are slidably engaged. Theresilient members, as above indicated, may be in the form of metallicsprings or may be formed of rubber, and in the former type ofconstruction, see Figures 1 and 2, helical springsrl are providedadapted at the ends adjacent to the inner rim element to bear againstthe interiors of the bases of the yoke pieces 15 and at their other endsagainst outwardly directed flanges 22 formed on the ends of the tubularstirrup members 12 adjacent to the outer rim element; wherein the lattertype of construction, see Figure 3, rubber blocks 23 are provided andare held in position between the stirrup members 14 and the cup-shapedelement 19.

As indicated in -li`igures 1 and 2, the outer rim element may be in theform of an annulus of l section to which is removably secured the sideplate 24 ot annular form, and the outer rim element is provided on itsexterior peripheral surface with a tyre 25 and on its inner peripheralsurface with rubber pads 26 secured in position by means of the steelplates 27.

Pivotally connected with the outer rim element by means of the pins 28are the slid ing spokes 29, the housings for the pivotal connectionsbeing provided by bosses 30` formed on the outer rim element andprovided witli apertures 31 sufficiently large to permit. a certaindegree of motion of the sliding spokes 29 about the pins 2S, apertures32 being provided in the inner rim element through which the slidingspokes project into the cylinder members 33 pivotally connected at 34with the ycentral element 3 of the wheel, and between the hub and theperiphery of the central element 3 are fixed radial members 35 betweenwhich and the cylinder members 33 are provided rubber blocks 36 adaptedto 'form resilient connections therebetween and to permit a limiteddegree of relative rotational motion between the outerrim element andthe central element. s V

As will be understood the above detailed description is furnished toillustrate by way of example certain suitable manners of carrying theinvention into eiiect, and the invention is not to be considered aslimited to the `details of construction illustrated since manymodiiications of these details may be'ei'lfected without exceeding thescope of the invention. .Y f Y Having now described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A wheel forvehicles comprising an outer rim element, a central element, an innerrim element located on said central element, radial elements pivoted onthe outer rim element, meansassociated with said central element adaptedtelescopically to engage said radial elements, resilient members locatedbetween said inner rim element and element and said central element,stirrup members connected between the inner rim element and the outerrim element, andresilient members arranged between said stirrup membersadapted to operate in compression when they are above as well as `whenthey are below the centre of the wheel.

8. A wheel for vehicles comprising an outer rim element, a centralelement, an inner rim element located on said central element,radialelements pivoted on said outer rim element, .means associated withthe central element adapted telescopically to engage the said radialelements, resilient supports for the said means adapted to permit alimited degree of relative rotational motion between the outer rimelement and ther central element, stirrup members associated with saidinner rim element each of which is `provided at its extremity remotefrom the inner rim element with an outwardly directed flange, furtherstirrup members associated with the first-mentioned stirrup members,resilient members encircling said first-mentioned stirrup members andcontacting at their extremities respectively with the flanges on thefirst-mentioned stirrup members and the inner surfaces of the bases ofthe said second-mentioned stirrup members, slots 1n the second-mentionedstirrup members, and pins located on the outer riin ele ment adapted toengage in said slots whereby said resilient members may operatey incompression both when 'above as well as when below the centre of thewheel.

4e. A wheel for vehicles comprising an Y,

outer rim element, a central element, an in ner Trim element located onsaid central ele. ment, radial elements pivoted on said outer rimelement, cylinder members pivotally connected' with the central element.and adapted telescoplcally to engage the said,

Patented July 21, 1931 UNITE STATSS HERBERT HILL, OF BRADFORD, ENGLANDSPRING WHEEL FOR AUTOEIOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES Application led July 9,1930, Serial No. 466,857, and in Great Britain August 30, 1929.

This invention relates to spring wheels for automobile and othervehicles of the kind having telescopic radial elements or spokespivoted, for example, to side plates secured to the hub, on axes locatedon a circle whose centre is the axis of the wheel and connecting the hubwith the wheel rim and optionally radial members secured in xedrelationship with the nave or hub of the-wheel between the pivctedradialY elements, resilient means adapted to permit a limited degree ofrelative rotational motion between the rim and the nave or hub of thewheel being in such case conveniently arranged between the iixed radialmembers and the pivoted radial elements or spokes.

In the specification of United States Letters Patent No. 1,628,594,granted to me on May 10th, 1927, I have described and claimed aconstruction of spring wheel of the kind in question in which an innerrim element rigidly connected with the hub is provided and between thisinner rim element and an outer rim element resilient' members arelocated.

According to a modilied construction forming the subject-matter ofBritish Letters Patent No. 297,858, dated June 27th, 1927, the completespecii'ication of which was accepted on September 27th, 1928, theresilient members located between the rim elements are arranged tosupport the load above the hub as well as when they are below the centreof the wheel.

- The object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of spring wheel of the kind specified and in particular toprovide an improvement in or modiication of the construction of springwheel claimed in the United States specification No. 1,628,594 and theBritish specification- No. 219,628, dated April 17th, 1924, the completespecification of which was accepted on July 31st, 1924, or as claimed inthe said British specification as improved upon or modified by theinvention on which a British patent of addition, No. 297,858, wasgranted.

According to the present invention the resilient members located betweenthe rim elements are arranged to operate in compression both when theyare above as well as when they are below the centre of the wheel and arearranged between stirrup members connected respectively with the innerand outer rim elements.

The invention will bel described further in detail by way of example andwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is afragmentary view partly in section illustrating one construction inaccordance with the invention, in which resilient members in the form ofhelical springs are employed.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating certaindetails of the construction illustrated in Figure 1, while Figure 8illustrates details of a construction in which the resilient members areformed of rubber.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the outer rim element and 2 the inner rimelement located on a central element 3. The inner rim element isprovided at intervals with spherical surfaces l within which are formedrecesses 5 adapted to provide bearing surfaces for vthe heads 6 `of theT-headed bolts 7, the

stems of which are externally screw-thread ed and are adapted to engagethe internally screw-threaded tubular members 8, the latter being formedwith heads 9, provided with slots 10 for adjusting purposes and adaptedto engage, in the construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, inwardlydirected 85 flanges 11 formed in the tubular stirrup members 12 withinwhich the tubular members 8 are adapted to be telescopically engaged,and in the construction illustrated in Figure 3 the inwardly directedflanges 13 90 formed in the corresponding stirrup members 14 withinwhich, as in the previous case, the tubular members 8 are adapted to betelescopically engaged.

Located on the inner rim element and normally in engagement therewith,see Figures 1 and 2, are stirrup members in the form of yoke pieces 15,provided with slots 16 in which are slidably engaged pins 17 associatned with the outer rim element.

radial elements adjacent to their extremities y remote from the outerrim element, fixed radial members on said central element, rubber blockslocated between the cylinder members and the fixed radial membersadapted to permit a limited degree of relative rotational motion betweenthe outer rim element and the central element, inner tubular membersprovided with enlarged heads associated with the inner rim element,outer tubular members within which said inner tubular members areadapted slidably to engage, said outer tubular members being provided attheir extremities remote from the outer rim element with inwardlydirected flanges adapted to bear against the enlarged heads of saidinner tubular members and at their extremities adjacent said outer rimelement with outwardly directed flanges, stirrup members provided withslots located on the inner rim element, pins on the outer rim elementadapted to engage within said slots, resilient members encircling saidinner and outer tubular members and contacting respectively at theirextremities with the said outwardly directed fianges and the innersurfaces of the bases of the said stirrup members, whereby saidresilient members may operate in compression both when above as well aswhen below the centre of the wheel.

5. A wheel for Vehicles comprising an outer rim element in the form ofan annulus of L section to which is removably secured a side plate ofannular form, a tyre secured to the outer peripheral surface of saidouter rim element, rubber pads located in position against the innerperipheral surface of said outer rim element, steel plates engaging saidouter rim element and adapted to secure the said rubber pads in positionagainst the inner peripheral surface of the said outer rim element, acentral element, an inner rim element located on said central elementand provided at intervals with spherical surfaces, recesses in saidspherical surfaces, radial elements pivoted on said outer im element,cylinder members pivotally connected with the central element adaptedtelescopically to engage the said radial elements adjacent to theirextremities remote from the outer rim element, fixed radial members onsaid central element, rubber blocks located between the cylinder membersand the fixed radial members adapted to permit a limited degree ofrelative rotational motion between the outer rim element and the centralelement, T-headed bolts provided with screw-threaded stems adapted toengage within the recesses in the spherical surfaces on the said innerrim element, inner tubular members provided with enlarged heads andinternally screw-threaded stems adapted to engage the stems of the saidT- headed bolts, outer tubular members within which said inner tubularmembers are adapted slidably to engage, said outer tubular members beingprovided at their extremities remote from the outer rim element withinwardly directed flanges adapted to bear against the enlarged heads ofthe said inner tubular members and at their extremities adjacent to theouter rim element with outwardly directed flanges, stirrup membershaving in their bases recesses corresponding with and adapted to'co-operate with the spherical surfaces on the inner rim element, slotsin said stirrup members, pins on the outer rim element adapted to engagewithin the said slots, resilient members encircling said inner and outertubular members, said resilient members contacting at their. extremitiesrespectively with the outwardly directed flanges on the outer tubularmembers and the inner surfaces of the bases of the said stirrup membersand adapted to operate in compression both when above as well as whenbelow thel centre of the wheel. In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification.

HERBERT HILL.

